Thumbtack



April 24, 1951 c. B. GOODSTEIN 2,550,549

THUMBTACK Filed Sept. 26, 1945 INVENTOR Czafleg Goodsein' ATTORNEY IPatented Apr. 24, 1951 us n o sTAT PAT ENT o I 'IAQKv Qharles B.Qgqdsfig NW EQQIB QQN- Y- ggl'iflgaeion September 26, 1945'; Serial No.618,731

1 Qlaim.

This invention relates to thumb tacks.

An object of this invention is to provide a thumb tack provided with ahead and an integral, rigid offset from said headand having a slightlyinclined lip at its end so that a finger nail may be inserted under thelip and the thumb tack lifted, thereby permitting easy removal of thethumb tack without necessity for the use of an instrument and withoutdanger of injury to the finger nail.

Another object of this invention is to provide a thumb tack providedwith a head having a pair of prongs, and an offset handle extending fromthe head and between the prongs, to permit the thumb tack to be priedloose by inserting a finger nail beneath the handle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a strong anddurable thumb tack of the character described which shall be relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, which shall be easy to manipulate, and yetpractical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possibleillustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a blank from which the thumb tack is made;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the finished thumb tack;

Fig. 2a is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2a2a of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a thumb tack showing the manner oflifting the thumb tack;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a blank for making a thumb tack embodyingthe invention and illustrating a modified construction; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the thumb tack made from the blank shownin Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 designates a thumb tackembodying the invention. Said thumb tack may be made from a blank H ofsheet metal having the outline shown in Fig. 1. The blank has asemi-circular edge 12 and extending therefrom are converging edges l3.Interconnecting the edges I3 is a smaller semi-circular edge M. Thethumb tack l0 made from the blank II is shaped somewhat concavely sothat the edges thereof are curved downwardly except for the tip end l5adjacent the edge M. The thumb tack l0 thus has a head I! from whichthere extends an integral offset rigid portion or handle l8. At theouter end of the handle 18 is an upwardly turned lip IS. The thumb tackis provided with an integral downwardly extending prong 20 substantiallyat the center of the head [1. punched directly from the stock of theblank II. The blank is thus formed with a V-shaped slit 2 I, and themetal therebetween pushed downwardly to form the downwardly extendingcentral prong.

Ordinary thumb tacks, when pressed into wood or to other material, aredifficult to remove. If they are removed with the finger nails, thefingers are often injured. Due to the leverage provided by the handleIS, a finger nail may be inserted beneath the upturned lip l4 and thethumb tack gently and easily lifted.

In Fig. 4 is shown a blank 3|]- from which may be made a thumb tack 3|embodying the invention and illustrating a modified construction. Theblank 30 comprises a portion similar to blank II. From opposite sides ofthe head, however, are oppositely extending integral prongs 3 I. Theblank 30 may be shaped similar to the thumb tack Ill, thus being pressedinto rounded shape with the edges sloping downwardly except at the lip33 which is inclined upwardly. The prongs 32 may be turned to theposition shown in Fig. 5 at right angles to the main body of the thumbtack 3|. The thumb tack is thus provided with two prongs so as toprevent movement of a sheet which is tacked thereby to a back board.Here, likewise the offset integral stiff handle provided a leverage foreasily prying the thumb tack oiT without necessity for an instrument andwithout danger of injury to the fingers.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved, and which is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

A thumb tack formed as a unit of stiff sheet The prong 20 may be.

metal and comprising a body elongated longitudinally and being wide atits front end and tapered in width towards its rear end, the said frontend edge of the body being arcuate for its full width and at its endsmerging into the front ends of the side edges of the body, a triangularprong cut from the forward portion of said body transversely thereof inrearwardly spaced relation to its front end and being bent downwardlyacross its attached end, the said attached end being located midway thewidth of the body and having its width disposed longitudinally of thebody, and the rear end portion of the body being bent upwardly andforming a lip extending rearwardly at an upward incline whereby a fingernail may be engaged under the lip and the thumb tack tilted upwardlyduring removal.

CHARLES E. GOODSTEIN.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

